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Championship eater inhales bananas at Donkey Kong Country Returns launch
If pressed, we're not sure we could eat an entire banana in 60 seconds -- they're just so dry and heavy, you know? We certainly couldn't come close to the achievement of championship eater Takeru Kobayashi, who, at a recent Donkey Kong Country Returns launch event, slammed 16 'nanners in a minute.
Donkey Kong Country Returns review: Exactly as much fun as a barrel of monkeys
I used the Super Guide. There, I said it. I doubt I would have been so tempted under normal, non-reviewing circumstances, but I had a very limited time to get through Donkey Kong Country Returns, and I was getting pretty frustrated, and that happy little pig was standing there, waving a white flag and inviting me to put my feet up and let Super Kong carry me through the level. And I did. I mean, uh, I had to try out the Super Guide at least once for review purposes, right? The presence of the Super Guide in this game is actually very important. Retro Studios seems to have gotten it where previous games haven't: with the Super Guide in place, allowing players to give up after eight lives and see a recorded playthrough of a level, Retro was free to make this ostensibly kid-focused Nintendo franchise game as painfully difficult as it wanted to. And it's a difficulty worth at least attempting to endure.%Gallery-106186%
New Donkey Kong Country Returns trailer looks so tough a monkey's gotta do it
This new Donkey Kong Country Returns trailer means this game's not kidding around. Retro Studios may have borrowed Rare's colorful designs, but it added a vicious platforming challenge to Kong's new banana-collecting adventure. Guess it really is on like ... well, you know.
Super Guide returns in Donkey Kong Country Returns
Last year, New Super Mario Bros. Wii introduced the "Super Guide" -- if you died eight times in one level, you'd get the option to have Luigi play through it for you (and you could take back control at any time) -- and gaming was ruined forever. (Not really.) Nintendo has since included the Super Guide in Super Mario Galaxy 2, and today the company officially announced that the feature will return in Retro Studios' Donkey Kong Country Returns. Should you die eight times (apparently the magic number just before most controllers are smashed!) in any level, you'll be able to initiate a playthrough by the white "Super Kong." Once he takes over, you can either watch the rest of the level be played for you or resume playing it once Super Kong passes any problem area. Of course, you won't get to keep any of the bananas, "KONG" letters or other collectibles picked up by Super Kong -- he has to be rewarded with something for his masterful efforts, right? Our own first experience with the game, along with a subsequent preview, suggests that we might no longer shun the Super Guide when it comes to Donkey Kong Country Returns. We fully expect to be rescued by Super Kong at least once.
Donkey Kong Country Returns trailer is going to kick you in the face
Guys, we're screwed. We're not going to be able to resist buying Donkey Kong Country Returns, but the more media we consume from the game -- like the trailer posted below -- the more convinced we become that the game is going to be so difficult, that we might weep uncontrollably while playing it.
Donkey Kong Country Returns gets new screens, rhino-riffic trailer
It's a good, good day for folks looking forward to Retro Studios' upcoming banana-collecting platformer, Donkey Kong Country Returns -- Nintendo recently sent over a ton of new screens for the game, as well as a trailer showcasing DK's oddly miniaturized rhino companion, Rambi. Check them out below!
Preview: Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong Country Returns is a return to form. Instead of reimagining Rare's classic SNES series, as it did Metroid in its Metroid Prime trilogy, developer Retro Studios is creating a game that's a lot more, well, "retro." DKC Returns appears to erase the 14-year gap since DKC3 -- really, it has been that long -- doing its best to fit in with a series that was designed for a console benchmarked by "bit." DKC Returns does employ modern platforming design and technology, like 3D environments with playable foreground and background areas, but it does so subtly, as not to stray far from an authentic feel -- how we might remember DKC on the SNES. And, truly, I had forgotten that the original DKCs were not fully co-op. Oh right, I'm remembering, the SNES games had that tag-in/tag-out multiplayer. So, as I demoed DKC Returns at Nintendo's E3 booth with Joystiq's own JC Fletcher, it was actually a new Donkey Kong Country experience that felt just like something I'd enjoyed many years ago. %Gallery-95512%
Donkey Kong Country Returns ... returns on Wii this holiday
Nintendo has apparently gone bananas, handing Metroid Prime vet Retro Studios its treasured Donkey Kong Country franchise. The company revealed Donkey Kong Country Returns at its E3 keynote, showing a new trailer that looked ... pretty much exactly like you'd think it would. It's the traditional 2D platformer we all know in love, bestowed with new 3D graphics and featuring both Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. The game will be available on the Wii this holiday.
3D Dot Game Heroes' long swords remind Atlus of something
We've seen plenty of retrogaming celebration in 3D Dot Game Heroes, but we just haven't seen enough ... juvenile humor. Atlus recognized this humiliating deficiency, and sent out this trailer featuring a series of innuendos that would put an even bigger smile on Smilin' Bob's face. The real gameplay info buried within all the embarrassing jokery is that the in-game blacksmith enables players to upgrade their swords to (admittedly) Freudian proportions, allowing them to mow down enemies from a comfortable distance. While chuckling to themselves like Butt-head, of course.
Report: Metroid Prime Trilogy no longer being shipped
A gaming blog by the name of Coffee with Games recently noticed a disturbing trend on Amazon -- Metroid Prime Trilogy was no longer being stocked first-hand by the online retailer. The blog contacted Nintendo to find out why the game ... err, three games weren't being sold on the site anymore, and reportedly received the following response: "Unfortunately, Metroid Prime Trilogy is no longer being shipped. Having said that, you may be able to find what you seek through the secondhand video game market." We've contacted Nintendo to get our own confirmation first-hand of this troubling report. You can fully expect us to fall to our knees, and belt out a resounding "Whyyyyyyyyyy!" should we succeed in doing so. [Via Go Nintendo]
Nintendo not done with Metroid Prime series
You may have completed Metroid Prime Trilogy and begun to enter Full Excitement Mode™ for next year's Metroid Other M, but there could be even more Metroid in store under Prime's banner of first-person action. Nintendo's Kensuke Tanabe, who oversaw development on the Prime games for Nintendo at Retro Studios, recently told ONM that Nintendo is "always planning to make new games in the Metroid Prime series." Tanabe didn't speak of a continuation on Wii, but noted that depending "on the timing and the situation, we cannot deny the possibility of realising it on DS or DSi." Though Retro hasn't isolated itself from the franchise, we know Nintendo isn't shy about sharing Samus with external developers. Just don't call it "Metroid Dread," guys. Bad memories.
Metroid Prime producer hints at future Prime titles
With the recent release of Metroid Prime Trilogy, it was easy to presume that the Prime series of Metroid games had received a final nail hammered into its coffin. According to a recent interview with Kotaku though, it appears the series' producer isn't quite done. In response to a question regarding multiplayer in the series, Kensuke Tanabe said:"As all I take part in is the Prime series, I am not capable of commenting on the whole Metroid series. But we will keep considering multiplayer for the Prime series. For instance, I think I can come up with some unique ideas using the Morph Ball, which is a specific skill of Samus'."Though the series got a spinoff for the DS in Metroid Prime Hunters, and it's possible Tanabe is speaking about future Prime titles for Nintendo's handheld system, hearing about more Prime games in any capacity is intriguing news. While Team Ninja is busy working on Metroid: Other M, it's possible that Prime series dev Retro Studios could be working on the future of its brand of Metroid. Don''t just take it from us, take it from Retro Studios prez and CEO Michael Kelbaugh who said so himself!
Swag Sunday: Metroid Prime Trilogy (Wii) [update]
Update: The comments have been closed and the winner will be contacted shortly. Check your email, folks! And thanks to everyone for entering!How is it that every time we run a Swag Saturday/Sunday post for a Nintendo Wii game, it's something wonderful? Last time we offered you Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure, and this week we're treating one lucky winner to a copy of Metroid Prime Trilogy! To get your hands on it, leave a comment below telling us your favorite moment in the Metroid series -- yes, you can go all the way back to NES. We'll pick one answer at random tomorrow evening to receive the fancy "Collector's Edition" you see above. One stipulation: Automatic disqualification should your answer include the Zero Suit in any way. You know why, ya scoundrels! Leave a comment telling us your favorite moment in the Metroid series, excluding those that involve the Zero Suit. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec, for obvious reasons) Limit 1 entry per person per day This entry period ends at 8:31PM ET on Monday, September 21 At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive Metroid Prime Trilogy on Wii ($50 ARV) For a list of complete rules, click here
Minor graphical effects missing in Wii Metroid Prime
It turns out the word "damn" isn't the only thing missing from Metroid Prime Trilogy. This YouTube video (after the break) demonstrates a few minor, but nice, graphical effects that seem to have been excised from the Wii release of the first Metroid Prime -- specifically, the ripple effect when Samus moves around in water, and the Ice Beam's freezing condensation, which used to gather around the gun when charging Ice Beam shots. At first we thought the effects might have been a casualty of the process of cramming three games onto one disc, but this video shows that the Japanese version of Prime on Wii, which had a Wii disc all to itself, also lacks the freezing effect (skip to the last thirty seconds to see). So what happened? It could merely be a glitch, or the result of a hasty port. It's certainly nothing to get too upset or burn your Trilogy disc over. Just kind of ... odd.
Metroid Prime Trilogy 'damn'-ed by silly censorship
Remember that scene in Legend of Zelda where Link eats Ganondorf's heart to silence the demons haunting the young Hylian about his brutal childhood? No, of course not, that was censored. What about the scene in Pikmin portraying the plant society as being built around fascist ideals and Olimar becoming their goose-stepping overlord? No, 'cause the was censored too. Both of these instances make sense when compared to the removal of the word "damn" from the Metroid Prime Trilogy. In the video after the break, which appears to be authentic, an innocent "damn" found in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was altered to a "no." We'll be gosh darned if that ain't the most golly gee willikers silly-faced thing we'd ever done seen. We're following up with Nintendo and Retro Studios to find out the reason for the change. [Via Go Nintendo] %Gallery-66717%
Retro Studios could return to Metroid 'some day'
Promoting the recently-released Metroid Prime Trilogy, IGN posted a video tour (embedded after the break) of Retro Studios' Texas offices. In the video, Retro President and CEO Michael Kelbaugh discusses the franchise and the possibility of a Retro return to the Metroid series. While Kelbaugh notes the team was aware it would only be responsible for a trilogy within the franchise, he could not say the team will never return to Samus' universe. "I think Retro will always be associated with the Metroid Prime franchise and who knows, maybe we'll do another one someday," Kelbaugh said, leaving the door to a possible Metroid return slightly ajar. For now, Retro Studios has hung up its Galactic Federation club coat and is working on new projects, in hopes to "refresh" its development team. Metroid continues to grow elsewhere with Team Ninja currently developing Metroid: Other M for the Wii. An exciting game on the Wii's horizon -- albeit with a terrible name.
This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Metroid Prime Trilogy dev diary
This Week on the Nintendo Channel presents the lengthy video you see above. It's a developer diary talking about all of the hard work that went into combining all of the Metroid Prime games into one delicious, tinned package. Hey, it may be the highlight of this week, but that's certainly not all there is! Hit the break for this week's videos and DS demos.
Buy Metroid Prime Trilogy in the UK, get Metroid free
If you're in the UK and your Metroid Prime Trilogy purchase will be the second time you've bought one of the Prime games, Nintendo has an enticing offer for you. Be one of the first 5,000 to purchase the Wii collection and register it on Club Nintendo, and, provided you've registered Metroid Prime 1, 2, or 3 in the past, you'll get a free Virtual Console download of the NES Metroid game. Sure, if you're a big enough Metroid fan to be buying Trilogy despite already owning the game, it's likely you already have Metroid, either on the NES, the Virtual Console, or as a connection bonus on the GameCube Metroid Prime disc. But it's still wonderful precedent to have Nintendo giving away a Virtual Console game to promote a new release.But why limit it only to the suckers buying one of the games twice? And why only 5,000? A Virtual Console download costs Nintendo nothing.[Image]
Metroid Prime Trilogy trailer: We're sold
Is it the music? Nah, it's everything about this montage of footage from all three Metroid Prime installments that comprise the upcoming Metroid Prime Trilogy compilation that has us saying, "do want!" And hey, you really can't argue with three excellent games, two of which have been retrofitted with widescreen support in addition to Wii Remote / Nunchuk based controls. In fact, there's nothing about this release that hasn't struck us as top-notch, from the packaging to the killer pre-order bonuses. See you soon -- August 24, to be precise -- Samus.
Pre-order Metroid Prime Trilogy at GameStop, get surprisingly nice t-shirt
The Wii release of Metroid Prime Trilogy just keeps getting better. Yesterday, we learned that it would include a lovely tin and an artbook, and now GameStop has just revealed that copies pre-ordered from the retailer will also come with a free t-shirt! It also comes with video games!In our opinion, the shirt looks pretty great (we're assuming it's not all dithered in real life like it is in the picture), even with the logo on the side, and even with the added baggage of identifying you as a GameStop shopper. The offer is valid for both in-store and online pre-orders. %Gallery-66717%
